List of Capsicum cultivars
The following is a preliminary list as there are thousands of Capsicum cultivars grown worldwide. There are four or five major species of cultivated Capsicum, and within those species are several "taxonomic varieties". The species and varieties include many economically important cultivars with different shapes, colours, and flavours that are grown for different purposes. Some confusion has resulted from the legal term "plant variety", which is used interchangeably with "cultivar" (not with "taxonomic variety"). Major species and their taxonomic varieties: *''Capsicum annuum, which includes bell peppers, cayenne, paprika and jalapeños **''Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum *''Capsicum baccatum, which includes ají amarillo, ají limon and criolla sella **''Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum **''Capsicum baccatum'' var. praetermissum, which includes cumari *''Capsicum chinense, which includes habanero, sometimes included within ''C. annuum *''Capsicum pubescens, which includes rocoto ''Capsicum frutescens is sometimes distinguished as a species separate from C. annuum, while other botanists consider it and C. annuum to be conspecific. ''Capsicum annuum'' Main: Capsicum annuum Capsicum annuum, native to South America, is cultivated worldwide. Its forms are varied, from large to small, sweet to sour, and very hot to bland. Despite being a single species, C. annuum has many forms, with a variety of names, even in the same language. Official names aside, in American English, any variety lacking heat is colloquially known as a sweet pepper, while one that produces capsaicin is colloquially known as a hot pepper or chili pepper. In British English, the sweet varieties are called "peppers" and the hot varieties "chillies", whereas in Australian English, the name "capsicum" is commonly used for bell peppers exclusively and "chilli" is often used to encompass the hotter varieties. The plant is a perennial subshrub, with a densely branched stem. The plant reaches 20-60 in. Single white flowers develop into the fruit which is green when unripe, changing usually to red, although some varieties may ripen to yellow, brown, or purple. The species are grown in temperate climates as an annual, but they are especially productive in warm and dry climates. ''Capsicum baccatum'' These have a distinctive, fruity flavor, and are commonly ground into colorful powders for use in cooking, each identified by its color. ''Capsicum chinense'' Main: Capsicum chinense Capsicum chinense or "Chinese capsicum" is a misnomer since all Capsicum species originated in the New World. Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817), a Dutch botanist, named the species in that way in 1776 because he believed they originated in China. Most of the peppers of this species have a distinctive flavor and are similar in flavor to each other. ''Capsicum pubescens'' Main: Capsicum pubescens Capsicum pubescens is among the oldest of domesticated peppers, and was grown as long as 5000 years ago. It is probably related to undomesticated plants that still grow in South America (C. cardenasii, C. eximium, and others). ''Capsicum frutescens'' Main: Capsicum frutescens Sometimes considered to be the same species as C. annuum See also * Capsicum Further reading *G6CSY chile database: Used as source for information on various cultivars in this article. *chillisgalore database: More can be found here. *NMSU Chile Pepper Institute list of chile cultivars Category:Chili peppers Category:Capsicum cultivars